The DBE and Provincial Education Departments (PEDs), through the South African Sign Language (SASL) Task Team, have committed themselves to ensure that plans to roll out the first Grade 12 National Senior Certificate (NSC) Examinations in SASL Home Language in November 2018 is successful.

On 01 June 2018, the special Task Team, established by the National Examinations and Assessment Committee (NEAC) and chaired by the Director for Public Examinations, Mrs Priscilla Ogunbanjo, met at the DBE in Pretoria. The aim of the meeting was to evaluate the preparedness of the system for the first Grade 12 NSC Examinations in SASL HL and to develop guidelines for the conduct and administration of the first SASL HL examination. A total of 58 learners from 10 schools that offer SASL HL will sit for the examinations in 2018. The introduction of SASL HL in the sector will provide deaf learners with the opportunity to achieve unendorsed NSCs which will enable them to access higher education.

The examinations, which will be centrally marked, will be written in the form of recorded signing - the question papers and learner responses would be signed and recorded for marking and moderation purposes.

The DBE plans to conduct a preparatory examination in SASL HL Paper 1, Paper 2 and Paper 3 on 13, 15 and 17 August respectively. The preparatory examinations will be administered following the same norms and standards and security measures and procedures relating to the conduct of the final NSC Examinations. This will assist in testing readiness of the system to ensure effective administration of the final year examinations in November 2018. The learner responses will be marked nationally at the DBE utilising teachers from schools offering SASL HL.

The marking process will train teachers on the standardisation of the marking of responses to SASL HL question papers; set a benchmark for future marking; familiarise teachers with the expectations of marking in SASL HL for Grade 12; and prepare the system for the November 2018 examinations.

The Basic Education Sector is optimistic about the introduction of SASL HL and the combined effort of all stakeholders will ensure the successful administration of the first SASL HL examinations in November 2018.